The Fukushima nuclear power plant remains unstable due to the high levels of radiation in the reactors. To check the status of the reactors, the operator has decided to introduce a new robot to check the levels of radioactivity inside and assess the status for future decommissioning.
The last robot to investigate the interior of reactors it was destroyed by high levels of radiation. However, this device is more prepared or so it seems. What is the state of the reactors?
New robot to investigate Fukushima
The device used to inspect the reactors is self-propelled and is operated by remote control. They have equipped it with video cameras, a thermometer and a dosimeter to be able to record radiation levels and the temperature at which they are found.
The company responsible for the research robot is TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company). From the data and images that they can extract from the reactor, they will be able to know the presence of molten fuel that has been able to filter from the reactor core to the containment vessel. None of this has yet been confirmed because the radiation levels are so high that it could kill a person in a matter of minutes.
The conditions inside the reactor must be evaluated in order to plan fuel removal. Although this task is hampered by deadly levels of radioactivity at the heart of nuclear facilities.
TEPCO has already introduced two robots in unit 1 of the plant, but both were abandoned inside after the first got stuck and the second was rendered inoperative by extremely high radiation.
Reactors 1,2, 3 and 2011 at the Fukushima plant suffered partial core meltdowns during the March XNUMX disaster. That is why it is vitally important to know the status of the radioactive fuel rods in order to remove it and start with its dismantling.